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California Bill Signed by Governor to Allow Google’s Self-Driving Cars to Hit the Road

Above is a picture of one of Google’s self-driving cars that is part of their fleet based in Nevada. Starting today, you might be seeing more of them on California roads thanks to a bill signing that took place in Mountain View with Google’s Sergey Brin and California’s Governor Jerry Brown.

With the bill signed, Google will be allowed to test their autonomous vehicles on whichever road they choose as long as there is someone in the driver’s seat ready to take control if the occasion calls for it. As of now, California’s DMV has been given a deadline of January 2015 to create rules and regulations regarding self-driving cars.

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I’m in a “traffic control” position and I am on the fence about it. Humans either not wearing their seat belt, using technology (cell phone, in dash navigation, iPods), and/or any other attention seeking thing besides watching the road scare me to no end while I’m holding that stop/slow paddle or setting up my work site. I would however question how an “unmanned” vehicle would handle this same scenario. We shall “see”…

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=75200646 Stephen Cox

Ah crap, all I need to find now is a 3rd Gen Black Trans Am and kidnap William Daniels to complete this…

Southrncomfortjm

Hope Google is patenting everything related to this lest Apple steal more so they can “innovate.”

Bane

Am I the only one that is completely disgusted by this. I don’t want the cargo drive itself. Technology is going to far. It’s turning us into vegatables

Christopher Hsu

Nothing wrong with safer transportation that frees up time for us to do more productive things. Think of the books you could read, the movies you could watch, the fist pumps you could pump if your vehicle could drive itself. You’re only turning into a vegetable if you’re not utilizing that additional free time. I for one have a 1.5 hour commute to and from work every day. That’s 3 additional hours of my life that I could spend doing something other than staring at the road and turning the wheel every now and then.

flosserelli

Hmmmm…

Another 3 hours of sleep, or 3 hours of p0rn. Decisions, decisions.

aBabyPenguin

Hey, if the Google car can drive in LA traffic, it can do anything.

http://profiles.google.com/thelolotov Jacob Davis

I can’t decide whether to be excited that this means less humans on the road, or terrified because of the limitations of AI at this point.

Paul

Google has been testing on public roads for a while now, that’s not big news.

Will be fun to see what insurance rates/policies will be like for these…

Stephen Vanderwarker

Just pay with Google Wallet 😉

c4v3man

Kinda a bummer. As someone who lives in northern Nevada I haven’t seen one of these yet. If they can test in CA now, my chances are probably lower since they’ll move some of their fleet to CA/not expand their NV fleet.

drunkguy

Hell yes! Now I can get totally sh*tfaced and not worry about Johnny Law giving me a DUI! Google enables my alcoholism.

Stevedub40

Awesome! They probably drive a lot better than most Californian’s too.

http://twitter.com/TheNintendo64 Drew

2013 Apple press conference:
We are pleased to announce that Apple will be revolutionizing the world once again with the iCar! (ORIGINAL CONTENT DO NOT STEAL)

Mack

Am I the only one who wants nothing to do with self-driving vehicles what so ever??

Stephen Vanderwarker

pretty much 😛

Mack

Well then I guess I’m just weird. I’m from the south, love driving a truck and IMO cars are starting to become a bit too advanced as it is. Check out some of the new stuff companies are coming out with. Facebook and twitter apps built into the head unit?? Hell no. The last thing I would ever want to see on the road let alone own myself is a vehicle that can drive on it’s own, as if people need more of an excuse to not pay attention on the road. Imagine if someone ever took control of your vehicle? What if you got a ticket in the mail for being a few MPH over the limit…based off of GPS tracking? I consider myself a car enthusiast so maybe that’s why I think all this is nuts but I actually like driving and being in control, haha especially rolling through my small town in a big truck.

Stephen Vanderwarker

Those points are extremely valid. Never thought of that. Especially the ticket thing. I know Google has said they want to technology to help promote safer driving, not take over the whole driving experience but that is a very good point and I respect your opinions. I wouldn’t mind it however.

Mack

I’m sure Google has good intentions, it’s our government I don’t trust.

Stephen Vanderwarker

Who does :O I sure as hell don’t

http://www.techmantis.net/ Minja Miketa

See I drive an Audi and I agree I really like the feeling of choosing what I do and being able to have total control of the car. I can’t stand automatic cars because I don’t feel in control much less one that drives itself. On the other hand, if I had a stick shift self driving car that I could switch back to manual mode when needed, like disengaging cruise control, then I think I would be ok with it because of long commutes.

antinorm

I’d rather share the road with one of these than with some of the idiot drivers around here. (I’m in central Virginia)

Mack

I live in VA too and I agree, the drivers here are pretty bad. Ever been up to northern VA? It’s even worse there. I would just rather people learn to pay attention and become better drivers than rely on technology. It scares me how many people I see looking at their phones, doing makeup or even eating stuff like cereal as they’re going down the highway.

Stevedub40

I would say California is pretty bad. I can use the car accidents as mile markers on the highway lol.

Mack

Haha wow, that I can believe. Never been to Cali but I’ve heard it’s just as bad if not worse than Northern VA, and it’s terrible the closer you get to DC.

knalis

In Fairfax county its horrendous…. your safer riding the metro …..ie if the driver isn’t drunk lol

Michael Singer

Nova represent! Lol yeah im a nova-dc commuter and yeah they suck! I want one just so I can sleep through dealing with these idiots

Ken Bosse

Living in New England..we get all the New York and New Jersey drivers..needless to say, they are THE worst drivers.

Hunter

You have a better chance with the technology rather than getting people to pay attention and learning to become better drivers….

Nlsme

You haven’t seen bad driving till you have been through Jersey.

knalis

Or in northern Virginia also lol

Damu793

get over it !!! this is the future

ajaxman93

If it’s the future then why is it in the present?

http://www.facebook.com/cush2push Geoff Wightman

Breaking news : Apple has submitted a patent for a iOS6 map based unmanned vehicle

Justin W

I’d be scared it would actually follow iOS6 Maps more than of it hitting something/someone.

Mike Ferlitsch

It surfs on one of those “land tsunamis”

Noyfb

I wonder how many iOS map cars would drive into the oceans, lakes, and rivers, thinking it was still land because the maps are off by miles. Not to mention killing people, driving through buildings and playgrounds.

It would be like Maximum Overdrive the movie all over again, vehicles killing people, emillio estevez greatest movie.

CHRIS42060

That vehicle would somehow fall off the earth haha

OreoMan

I saw this and started laughing…..can you imagine if this car used iOS6 maps! Everyone would be driving into the ocean. Although, it would make traffic more bearable.

http://www.deathbycone.com Jared Kotoff

“visit the grand canyon?”
*into pacific ocean*

Kyle

When do you think we will be able to get one of these? 5 Years? 10 Years? 50 Years?

http://twitter.com/SSnow02 Sam

10-15 years max.

Sam

If it were up to me…never.

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